My duck swallowed my earring.

[Brooke_R]

Last night, I was leaned down by my ducks and one reached up and grabbed my earring out of my ear. He swallowed it before I could get it from him. I’ve been reading threads from people with this same/similar problem and have been trying to take the advice they were given. I’ve been hand feeding him extra food, given him coconut oil with his water, and been checking his poop nonstop for it. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. I haven’t found the earring since and it’s been nearly 24 hours. Earlier, I tried a metal detector with the other earring and then tried it on my duck and it went off for the same metal, so it’s still in him. I read about chelation agents for Hardware disease so I researched it. I found some Calcium EDTA supplements and ordered them for as soon as they can get here. They should be here in a couple of days. I just got these just in case he never poops it out because I don’t want anything to happen to him. Does anyone know if I really should give these to him? I thought I would dissolve them in his water. Or does anyone know anything else I should do for him? I wish take him to the vet but I can’t. Do you think he will be okay? I forgot to add, the earring was a gold stud but it was cheap so it’s probably not real gold.

 

[black_cat]

Oh no! @Isaac 0 may be able to help you out. Good luck!

 

[Brooke_R]

Oh no! @Isaac 0 may be able to help you out. Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[416bigbore]

Might you have a picture of the earring he ate ? There is a thing called hardware disease and not good!

A vet will be your best option so they can take an X-ray and decide on the best course of action.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

https://www.fresheggsdaily.blog/2015/07/preventing-hardware-disease-heavy-metal.html

 

[Brooke_R]

 

[416bigbore]

View attachment 2335484

O WOW..... That don't look good. A vet is your best option in opinion, my be someone has a different course of action?

 

[Brooke_R]

I would like to take him to the vet but there’s only a couple around where I live and I don’t know if they take ducks. I called one and asked about if they have any treatment for it and the lady just said no and hung up..

 

[nao57]

Switch to WET FOOD and lots of liquid immediately!

(Milk probably wouldn't hurt also...but I haven't tried this.)

If it were a bigger animal the treatment is to make them swallow magnets, if its a cow and nails for example (or sheep). But this might do more harm than good with a small animal like a duck.

I remember going with dad to farms to treat cows that had swallowed nails and you'd put magnets in a pill swallowing device that you put in their mouth and shoot it in.

But ducks are different. This likely wouldn't work with magnets. But you could do the magnet trick on something sharp and metal in a larger animal, even dogs possibly?

Until its passed through don't do any dry food. And you'll want to grease the plumbing as much as you can until it passes.

The treatment would be to grease the plumbing as much as you can. Also one of the main issues is the sharp part of the earing, not just the metal.

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry to hear about your duck. If you can't take her to a vet, do the following.

Calcium EDTA, can/ and is used often in cases of heavy metal poisoning as a chelation agent. It took me a while to find a dose, but I found one here,

http://avianmedicine.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/18.pdf

This site states it can be given IM, at a dose of 20-40mg/kg, twice or three times a day. I see other sources listing it can cause muscle site necrosis so you may be able to administer it orally instead. I can look into it more, but just give us her weight once you get the EDTA, and I'll figure out a dose for you.

Vet's often give antibiotics post-therapy since lead, and other heavy metals can have immunosuppressive effects. Something like Amoxicillin would work, and you can find that here.

https://www.chewy.com/fish-aid-antibiotics-amoxicillin/dp/185201

In addition, to the chelation therapy, you may consider adding some mineral oil to her feed, which may help "rid" the earring out of her digestive tract. Do not try to give mineral oil orally (PO) as its easily aspirated, which may leed to subsequent lipid pneumonia, which tends to be fatal.

Something people often under address in cases of heavy metal poisoning, is hydration. It's very important she stays hydrated throughout this. If you notice she isn't drinking as much, let us know, as she'll likely require some sort of supplemental fluids in place. I would also recommend getting a baseline weight done on her, and start weighing her daily.

 

[416bigbore]

I would like to take him to the vet but there’s only a couple around where I live and I don’t know if they take ducks. I called one and asked about if they have any treatment for it and the lady just said no and hung up..

You need an Avian Vet. The big problem with that earring is, it has a sharp long point sticking out and may not pass through your ducks digestive system without puncturing a hole along the way or getting caught in the gizzard and restricting the gizzard to work properly.

Your best option is a Vet.